Taliban release video purportedly showing American, Australian captives

Kidnapped Professors: AustralianTimothy Weeks and American Kevin King

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban released a new video on Wednesday showing an American and an Australian captive they abducted last August, the second such footage of the hostages.

The two men — an American identified as Kevin King and an Australian man identified as Timothy Weekes — were abducted outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, where they work as teachers.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid sent the video to media outlets on Wednesday.

In the footage, both King and Weekes say the date is June 16. The previous video of the pair, released in January, showed them appearing pale but in this one, they look healthier.

Both say they are being treated well by the Taliban but that they remain prisoners and appeal to their governments to help set them free. It is impossible to know whether they were forced to speak.

U.S. officials said in September that American forces had launched a rescue mission, but the captives were not found at the raided location.